High risk on bedrest with placenta previa

knottiea4f8087d1a725028

Hi. I’m 15w1d. Starting my pregnancy early off with spotting and finding out I have a Subchorionic hematoma. Had bleeding Sunday so went back to ER. Found out I have placenta previa at 15 weeks and that it’s very low. I’ve been put on strict bedrest and will now be referred to high risk maternal medicine doctors. Looking for advice as I’m very nervous and scared. They told me if my conditions remain, they’ll schedule a planned C at 36 weeks. Any tips or hopeful stories for me? I know to lay on my left side as much as possible and stay hydrated. 

maggiemadeit

I’m sorry you’re going through this. I just had a baby and had complete placenta previa. I can share my experience, but there is such a range of experiences with previa that it may not be representative of your situation or likely outcomes.
But I remember looking for any story I could find from other women who had gone through it, so I’m happy to share mine. 

It was diagnosed at my anatomy scan around 18 weeks. I was already high risk because of my age and I had lost a twin early in the pregnancy. I had an early bleed around 8 weeks (SCH). So starting at 18 weeks I had some restrictions (no sex, no high impact high intensity exercise), and the MFM was not hopeful it would move just based on the position of the placenta, even though the statistics say that the vast majority move by 28 weeks. Mine didn’t. We had pretty frequent and thorough ultrasounds with the MFM starting at 28 weeks. At 30 weeks I had my first bleed. It was not too bad (like a heavy period) and my husband was able to drive me to our local hospital where they kept me for observation for 24 hours. They told me if it happened again they would have to keep me a few days, and third time you stay at the hospital until you deliver. I was put on modified bed rest. I was only allowed to walk and pick up/drop off my kids at school, had to stay within 30 mins of the hospital. I started having twice weekly NSTs around this time too. 

At 34 weeks I had a very big bleed. It was absolutely pouring out of me. I was really scared. My husband called 911 and I got taken in an ambulance and admitted at our local hospital again. Within 6 hours they decided to transfer me to the nearest big city hospital with a NICU. I had another smaller bleed the next morning, and then it stopped but I wasn’t allowed to go home. I stayed in the antenatal unit and was able to keep the baby in for almost a week longer before they decided it wasn’t worth the risk of something catastrophic happening, and I had a c section the next day at 35+3. My girl was born screaming and only spent 1 day in the NICU. We have dealt with some issues due to her being premature (extended jaundice and slow weight gain) but she is 8 weeks now and meeting milestones. 

I think the hardest things were just not knowing how it was all going to play out, and the waiting and worrying really took a toll. The restrictions were also hard. I’m a busy lady and I like to work out and being told to basically sit still was harder than I thought it would be. The week in the hospital was also quite difficult, and I ended up spending Mother’s Day there without my kids, which was hard. 

I really hope it turns out okay for you. The vast majority of previas resolve, and I hope this will happen for you. If not then I hope you can make it to viability and beyond, and that your care team takes excellent care of you and your baby. It’s hard but you’ll get through it ❤️

knottie4e9401fc12ca7fc3

A low laying placenta and placenta previa are two different things. A low laying placenta is within 2 cm from the cervix and placenta previa is a complete cover of the cervix. Low laying will almost always move up but previa doesn’t, to my knowledge. I had a low laying with my second and it did move up by 30 weeks and I delivered naturally. I hope the best for you!

knottief0859e5762f24d4c

I had placenta previa with my third, and a had a bleed at 16 weeks. I was put on light activity for the remainder of the pregnancy and had a c section at 37 weeks. She was almost 9 lbs and completely healthy. It was really scary to live through and I know it’s really hard to trust and have hope that things will work out, but it will. I found a lot of comfort in knowing that a few generations before me if a woman had this kind of diagnosis it would have played out very differently for mom and baby. I found that focusing on gratitude for the doctors and modern medicine really helped me. Sending all the positive thoughts your way for the rest of your pregnancy.